What organization doesn’t want to receive an award for their work? Awards provide well-deserved recognition of success. They help to build brand reputation and awareness, attract new clients, and create exposure for hard work. However, it takes time, effort, and smart strategy to win an award for your company or nonprofit.
Here are some tips for researching the right awards, evaluating for relevancy, drafting a submission, and leveraging the awards once you win.
Researching
Research is important to find ample opportunities. To effectively investigate awards, make sure to use key words that are relevant to your organization. For example, for Teak Media, some of the terms you could search for are:
- Public relations agency awards
- Nonprofit communication awards
- Communications awards
- Social impact public relations awards
If you are looking for a regional award in a specific location, like the city of Boston or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, mention that community within the search as well.
Evaluating
When you find an award that may be a match for your business, there are a few steps to take to make sure that applying is worth the time, effort and sometimes money.
Award applications have firm deadlines, so timing is important. Factor in the time it takes to fill the application out. If the deadline is tomorrow or even in a week, it’s safe to say that it will be challenging to craft a submission. If you find an award that seems like a good fit, but the nomination period is not open yet, save the link in a spreadsheet or set a reminder in your calendar to check on it later.
By reviewing the application questions, you can get a better understanding of if your company is suitable or not. The questions will also help determine if you have time to create a submission. Some awards have one or two questions, while others could have 25.
Previous winners of awards are a great indication of the kinds of organizations that have a chance to win. You shouldn’t have to look hard to find these, as most award websites post previous winners. . This will help to determine if your work is what they are looking for.
Many awards have a fee to apply, and others are free. It’s important to consider this potential cost when evaluating the award. Some awards also have reduced costs if you apply early, which can help determine your timeline for crafting the submission.
Applying
When filling out an award application, make sure to read each question carefully and answer it completely. Oftentimes, organizers will indicate the word count or number of characters allowed, which can save you time and effort if followed. If the application format only lets you enter 100 words, make sure you know that before writing the answer. Also, it is good practice to use statistics and relevant examples in your responses. This can help quantify your impact and make your application more enticing.
Leveraging
Congrats, you won the award! Now what? Depending on the award, it may be beneficial to draft a press release announcing your win for trade and industry publications as well as for posting on your website. You should also share the recognition on your organization’s social media channels, newsletter, and other platforms. The leadership staff especially should share the recognition their LinkedIn pages to promote thought leadership and position the workplace as an “award-winning” company.
It’s not easy to find and apply for awards, but it can be highly rewarding. It’s a good idea to carve out about an hour a week for research to ensure you do not miss an opportunity. While every award may not be a perfect fit, continually checking will provide new opportunities to show off your hard work and success.
